A Magical Malec Christmas
by QueenofDayDream
Summary: A Christmas Special Shadowhunters story where Alec, Magnus, Isabelle, Jace, Clary, Simon, Jocelyn and Luke go on a small break to find some light in the middle of the terrible war against Valentine. Much fluff and some hot stuff (chocolate, fireplace, kisses, etc...) and mistletoe! And LOTS of food. Good time with loved ones. *Christmasy feels*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: HERE IS IT. My first Christmas Special story ever! It was supposed to be a** **oneshot, but it became too long, so now you'll have 4 chapters of Malec Christmas goodness! I'll be posting chapters 1-3 in the next 3 days and chapter 4 some day after Christmas. Hope you'll enjoy it and please review if you like it! And also if you don't like it, let me know what you didn't like and how I can improve.**

 **Happy reading to all and Merry Christmas! :)**

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 **Chapter 1 - December 23rd**

It was December 23rd and it felt like the world was ending.

The war against Valentine was full on. Jace had managed to escape Valentine after being held hostage for months and finding out that Clary wasn't really his sister. Jace wasn't related to Clary or to Valentine at all; it was a lie Valentine had told him hoping it would link them together for that much longer. Jace came back to them safely, but the war was not over. Valentine was stronger than ever and they had been fighting so hard against him but it seemed pointless. His army was getting bigger at an alarming rate. Because of his threats to attack Idris, the city was under lockdown, so Alec, Izzy and Jace couldn't go home for Christmas. It was going to be the first time Max would spend Christmas without his siblings and that thought filled Alec with sadness and despair.

Alec was exhausted. All of them were. No one had laughed for weeks, and hardly anyone smiled anymore. They were so worn out by the nonstop fight: physically and emotionally. Valentine had even sent troops to take over the NY Institute and even though they had been stopped, Alec doubted the Institute was safe from future attacks. That's why they hadn't left for Idris to chase Valentine away from the city. The Clave had given them strict orders not to leave the Institutes, so they wouldn't be vulnerable and fall into enemy hands. The fear was, left unattended Valentine or others might be able to take control.

In a nutshell, things were going terribly for the Shadow World. Alec and his friends constantly felt like they were swimming through a wild river, and every time they fought the brutal waves and got back to the surface the land was much further away, like it kept distancing itself from them on purpose… Just to make them feel like they'd never get there, no matter how desperately they swam.

And that's when Luke's idea came: let's go on a vacation. It seemed madness at first, obviously. Vacation? In the middle of the biggest war the Shadow World had ever faced? Alec's first thought was " _Surely, we can't do that. That's insane!"_

It turned out, not only they could, but they needed it desperately. Because, how could they keep fighting and expect to win with hearts so heavy? With bodies so exhausted and souls so hopeless? They needed to recharge. They all needed some light in their lives before it was too late and they'd give up.

So off to vacation they went. Luke had a secret cabin from his initial werewolf days, during the years when he was hiding from Valentine. And he managed to keep its location secret. So, Luke, Jocelyn and Clary invited Jace, Izzy, Simon and Alec to spend Christmas and NYE there. Alec was hesitant about going at first; he didn't want to leave Magnus alone for Christmas.

Alec and Magnus had been dating for a couple of months by now and Alec grew more and more comfortable around Magnus each day. Despite that, the relationship with Magnus was still new to him. And lately, they didn't have nearly as much time to see each other as Alec wanted. So he asked if he could invite Magnus too, seeing the escapade as the perfect opportunity to spend time with him. Everyone was happy to let Magnus come along and Magnus was excited that he wouldn't have to spend Christmas alone.

So here they were, on the long road trip, heading to the much needed safe haven. They traveled in two cars, expecting it to draw less attention than a big van if they were followed. Valentine had made the hunt for Jace and anyone on his side a personal crusade, so they needed to be extra careful and constantly make sure they weren't followed, which is why the journey took longer than planned. Magnus had offered to portal them there, but they thought it was better not to leave a magical trail leading to them.

Alec didn't mind the road trip. It let his mind drift off from the stressful and hopeless thoughts and he enjoyed having Magnus next to him in the backseat. Alec wasn't a fan of public display of affection, especially not in front of his sister, who was driving, but Magnus holding his hand and caressing it gently almost through the entire trip was something Alec couldn't resist. They enjoyed each other's company, and not even Simon's constant rambling could ruin his mood. Whenever Simon got carried away Alec and Magnus would roll their eyes at each other like they were saying, " _Omg, he won't shut up!"_ and they tried not to burst into laughter.

It was close to sunset by the time they arrived. The freezing wind licked Alec's face as he got out of the car and looked around. They were in the middle of the woods. Snow was everywhere. The stately old pine trees had branches heavily laden with a thick blanket of white. For as far as the eye could see, there was no sign of life. Darkness and silence surrounded them with only the sound of Alec's on breathing resonating through his ears. The quiet was pronounced, but not oppressive. The sky above twinkled with bright, shining specks of light that cast a bright glow on the white covered ground. They walked toward a large, two-story cabin. It looked like a family home and surely, no one would suspect a lone wolf would use it for shelter. It looked cozy from the outside and when they went inside, Alec saw it was also snug on the inside. He could see that nothing had been used for a long time, but the rustic furniture still gave it a Christmasy feeling.

Magnus was getting rid of their tracks in the snow and putting up a protective ward on the house, so no one could find them there and Alec, along with the rest, took their things inside. Alec let everyone settle in first and then occupied the last room available. It was a suite filled with soft colors, a large comfortable bed, a fireplace and what Alec imagined to be a fantastic view of the woods during the day from the window **.** He wondered why no one else had taken it.

Alec was unpacking his small bag when Luke walked in the room.

"Hey, everything okay here?" he asked as he approached Alec by the wooden wardrobe where Alec was putting his few belongings.

"Yeah. Everything's fine," Alec replied.

"That's good," Luke smiled at him and then his expression went more serious. "Listen, we're out of rooms… I mean, with Magnus here we don't have a room for everyone… so, I was wondering…" Luke stuttered awkwardly, clearly embarrassed. "Jace said you wouldn't mind sharing the room with Magnus," he concluded.

Alec froze on the spot.

"He said that?" he asked, hoping not to reveal the shock in his voice.

"Yep," Luke said, staring at the bed awkwardly.

 _Maybe Jace should learn to keep his mouth shut sometimes_ _,_ Alec thought, annoyed. He never discussed Magnus with his siblings, - although Izzy relentlessly tried to pull information out of him - but they were all well aware of the fact that Alec had slept over at Magnus' a couple of times by now. But Alec really didn't need that gossip to become public knowledge. Jace should have known better than to say stuff like that…

"So…" Said Luke, interrupting Alec's train of irritated thoughts. "Would you mind sharing the room with Magnus, then?"

Alec thought about it for a second. Whenever he'd slept over at Magnus' it wasn't planned. Usually, Alec was just too exhausted to leave or it became too late and Magnus considered it unsafe for him to walk back to the Institute alone (he never offered to Portal him back as an alternative, but Alec never asked him to either). And nothing beyond some shirtless make-out sessions ever happened between them. But this was a bit different. They'd have to sleep together, in the same bed, for more than seven days in a row.

Surely, nothing more intense had to happen… Certainly, Magnus wouldn't pressure him into anything, would he? They could just cuddle maybe, like they're used to, or just kiss until they fall asleep… Yes. Falling asleep in Magnus' arms wasn't the worst feeling in the world. Not bad at all… Quite pleasant, actually…

"No, I don't mind," he finally said, blood rushing to his face from the memories . "I'll share with Magnus."

"Great!" Luke cheered, clearly relieved. "I'll be sure to let you know when dinner's ready."

Alec nodded and went back to unpacking his things as Luke walked out of the room. Alec finished and then went downstairs to get Magnus' luggage. He had three heavy, extremely colorful bags. Clary, Jocelyn, Luke and Jace were already making dinner and there was no sign of Izzy and Simon. Alec really didn't want to know what those two could be up do. Their relationship, if one could call it that, was very new and confusing to Alec. They had been dating for a while, but Izzy said it wasn't official yet and Alec very much hoped it wouldn't last.

Once Alec was back in the room he wasn't left alone much longer; soon enough Magnus came in with slightly red cheeks from the cold.

"Everything's secured!" He announced with a smile. "We shouldn't expect any attacks tonight."

"Well, that's a nice change." Alec turned to Magnus and felt instantly better looking at him.

Magnus stepped closer and the smile on his face faded a little.

"So I heard that there aren't any more rooms available…" he said and Alec felt his worries crawl back into his stomach. "Do you really not mind… I mean…" Magnus struggled with his words. "If it was possible for us to sleep in different rooms...would you want to?" he asked facing Alec.

Alec looked at Magnus' distressed face. There was so much concern and tenderness there and Alec knew Magnus would never force him into doing anything that made him uncomfortable. Realizing that made all of Alec's fears vanish.

"No," Alec replied as he stepped closer to Magnus. Then he cupped Magnus' beautiful face, still cold from outside, and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"I missed you," Alec whispered and watched the smile return to Magnus' face with a much lighter heart.

"I missed you too, darling," Magnus said tenderly and Alec felt the rocks get pushed off his shoulders. But just when he allowed himself to feel some joy, he immediately felt a bigger rock smashing him in the form of guilt. How could he be happy when Max wasn't there? And worse, what if Max thought that his siblings had abandoned him?

Magnus noticed the tears that had invaded Alec's eyes and immediately took his hands.

"Alec? What's wrong?" he asked with wide eyes full of concern.

"I just... " Alec struggled, but couldn't the stop the tears from escaping his eyes any longer. "I miss Max."

"Oh, Alec…" Magnus sighed and hugged Alec tightly.

Alec let himself cry on Magnus' shoulder, not caring that he'd never been this open to Magnus with his feelings. Magnus' warm embrace was very inviting to pour his pain out and he was too tired to hold it all back.

"I just wish we could send him a message or… or something… so he knows he's not alone," Alec sobbed against Magnus' shoulder.

"I know." Magnus rubbed his hand against Alec's back and they stayed like that, holding onto each other close in the middle of the room.

Then they heard a soft knock on the doorway. Alec quickly pulled away from Magnus and hid his teary face from the intruder.

"Hey…" Clary said awkwardly from the doorway. "Sorry, I just wanted to tell you guys that the food is ready."

"I'm not hungry," Alec said without looking at her. He definitely didn't want to face people right now.

"Me neither," Magnus said and smiled at her. "But thank you."

Clary nodded and left them alone. Magnus closed the door behind her then turned back to Alec who had sat on the edge of the bed, hiding his face in his hands in a very depressed manner. Magnus sat next to him and after a few moments of hesitation, took Alec's hands in his, forcing Alec to face him.

"Look, we should get some rest now, and we'll come up with something tomorrow. Okay?" Magnus said kindly. "We had a long day. We will think better after some sleep."

 _What's the point? The city is blocked, we can't get anything through, no matter how much we think about it,_ Alec thought bitterly, but he nodded. He didn't want to discuss this any longer, the more he was thinking about it the more hopeless it seemed.

They both changed into pajamas and curled up under the covers which were warm in an instant thanks to Magnus' magical intervention. Alec's were practical and consisted of an old t-shirt and tattered cotton pajama bottoms while Magnus' were a rich green silk. Magnus turned on his side while Alec, on his stomach, dived into the huge pillow and warm sheets and slightly turned his head in Magnus' direction.

Alec's fatigue didn't stop him from noticing how the dark color of Magnus' pajamas highlighted the delicate green rings in his eyes. How Magnus managed to look breathtaking in absolutely anything was a mystery to Alec. Even now, after Magnus had magicked his makeup off, he was stunning. He let out a sigh as he admired Magnus' unique eyes, the most beautiful eyes Alec had seen, and enjoyed Magnus' soft caresses across his face and down the backside of his neck. Magnus' fingers, applying a bit of pressure, reached Alec's shoulder. All the tension and stress Alec had endured in the last couple of weeks made him wince with pain at the slightest pressure and Magnus noticed it. He gently massaged the pain away with his palm and then it seemed as he had an insight, because the next thing Alec knew, he was laying shirtless and Magnus was kneeling on the bed beside him, his hands all over Alec's back, rubbing some sort of oil on Alec's skin with strong, fluid hand movements.

Alec was surprised, but he didn't object. He couldn't have even if he wanted to, because what Magnus was performing on his neck, shoulders and back felt so wonderful Alec wished it never ended. Magnus stretched and squeezed his sore muscles until Alec felt like a sponge. It was quite painful at the beginning, but Magnus' incredibly smooth yet strong movements slowly dissolved his knots, and the smell… the smell was amazing. Was it lavender? Alec couldn't tell, but he loved the way it made him feel. He loved the way Magnus made him feel. As he felt more and more relaxed thanks to Magnus' amazing massage Alec thought about how good Magnus has been to him… Alec wanted to say thank you or do something to show his gratitude, but he couldn't move. Alec's breath deepened and the sensation of floating in air drove him into a heavy sleep.

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 **Betad by Holly0114, Sabiduria and xx ShamiksXaxx.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - December 24th**

It took Alec several moments to recall where he was when he woke up the next morning. He found himself alone in the room. It was fairly late in the morning, there was plenty of light coming through the light-beige curtains, but he decided to take a shower before heading downstairs. When he walked in the bathroom he realized he had forgotten to bring any hygiene items with him, so he was imperceptibly confused when he saw the extensive variety of products lined up by the sink and the tub. Magnus must have showered earlier, it was the only explanation for it. Alec had no other choice but to use Magnus' soap and shampoo. The smell of hazelnut enveloped him reminding him of Magnus. He lathered himself with it and lazily let the warm water wash it off. Alec closed his eyes enjoying the contact of the water with his skin and suddenly, Alec wished Magnus was there with him. The thought made him blush instantly and he decided it was a terrible idea since he probably wouldn't survive the proximity to Magnus' wet naked body.

Alec hurried back to the room wearing a towel and put on a white t-shirt and an old pair of jeans before heading downstairs. He didn't get cold often, so usually he didn't need to wear a sweater indoors. The first image he saw as he got downstairs was Izzy and Luke bundled up in layers of clothing, carrying a towering pine tree inside. She noticed him watching and smirked at him.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," she called. "Are you gonna stare at us all day or are you gonna help?"

Alec rolled his eyes at his demanding sister, but he stepped up and helped them carry the heavy tree into the living room and set it up by the fireplace. It turned out to be a gigantic tree; about a hundred and twenty inches tall and exceptionally wide with infinite tiers of branches. Alec imagined that even if they put on tons of decorations it still wouldn't be enough to cover all the branches. Luke fetched a cloth to wipe up the small pool of water the melted snow had formed under the tree. Alec only noticed Jace after stepping away from behind the tree. He was comfortably snuggled up on the couch with a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate watching a movie on TV like a carefree child.

"Thank you, Jace. So lovely of you to help," Izzy commented snarkily.

"Hey, I have nothing to do with this!" Jace objected. "You're the insane one who wanted to go outside in the freezing cold and chop down a tree."

"A Christmas tree! That's what you do on Christmas!" Izzy hissed at him.

"Whatever," Jace muttered which earned him a cushion flying across the room and hitting him in the face. "Hey!" he yelled and Alec quickly stepped out of the living room before things got out of hand and too heated between Jace and Izzy. He surely didn't want to get between those two in a fight, especially not in the classic Christmas pillow fight. It was one of the things Alec didn't understand about his siblings. Usually, Max took part in it as well, which made it much more enjoyable to watch. But Alec didn't need to be reminded of his little brother's absence again, so he was very relieved when Magnus greeted him with a plate of cookies in front of the kitchen entrance.

"Gingerbread cookies?" Magnus smiled at Alec. "Just out of the oven."

"Thanks," Alec replied, but he didn't take a cookie. He also ignored the heavenly cinnamon smell of the kitchen and Clary, Simon and Jocelyn's morning greetings; he was busy staring at Magnus. First, the golden Christmasy apron he was wearing over his pajamas, then his excited face, the warm light glowing in his eyes, his lips drawing a beautiful smile on his perfectly sculptured face, and his hair… Alec was sure he caught a hint of flour at the top of Magnus' spiked up hair. But surely Magnus would know he had food in his hair, wouldn't he? Alec felt the urgent need to run his hand through Magnus' disheveled hair.

"Did you sleep well?" Magnus asked, snapping Alec out of his distracting thoughts.

"Yeah. Better than ever." Alec felt fully restored for the first time in months and he had Magnus to thank for it. "You?"

"Oh, I couldn't sleep much. I usually don't care much about Christmas, but…" Magnus could hardly contain his excitement. "Christmas spirit just took over me today!"

"I can see that," Alec grinned and pulled his handsome warlock close for a longing kiss. Magnus promptly threw the plate of cookies aside and let it float in the air next to them while his hands became busy holding Alec close by his waist. Alec gave in to his urges and dug his hands into Magnus' hair and gently ruffled it, leading to a cloud of flour covering their heads like fog. Magnus gasped and Alec took that as an invitation to explore Magnus' mouth with his tongue. Magnus tasted of cinnamon and sugar, which was a perfect match to his current mood. Alec could have gone forever kissing Magnus if the warlock hadn't broken the kiss for some air.

"You smell nice," Magnus whispered after catching his breath. Alec smiled, happy that Magnus noticed.

"Not as nice as these." He pointed at the floating plate of cookies and grabbed one. Magnus chuckled and planted a kiss on Alec's cheek.

"You guys are so cute!" Simon yelled from the kitchen doorway.

"How long have you been standing there?" Alec asked indignantly. Simon's interruption was the perfect way to end the happy moment. Alec couldn't stand that vampire; he had no idea what his sister saw in him.

"Um, well… it doesn't matter," the vampire moped and sneaked back into the kitchen.

"I have to agree with him, though. We _are_ cute," Magnus affirmed. Alec rolled his eyes at his boyfriend.

"Oh, look!" Magnus gasped looking up at the ceiling. "Mistletoe!"

Alec looked up and there it was - just above their heads. He was pretty sure that the mixture of green leaves and delicate white berries hadn't been there a minute ago.

"Magnus…" Alec eyed him suspiciously, but Magnus gave him the most innocent look. Alec just had to give in and he gladly did so. The annoying vampire was long forgotten, Magnus pulled Alec to the entrance of the hallway, away from unwanted eyes and Magnus and Alec could enjoy each other again, even if only briefly. Magnus hugged Alec close and ran his hands across Alec's wet hair. Alec felt the warmth coming out of Magnus' hands like a hair dryer and in a few seconds, his hair felt lighter. Alec touched his now completely dry locks and looked startled at Magnus.

"Wet hair in this weather is probably not a good idea," Magnus answered Alec's questioning look. "Don't want you to get a cold…"

Alec didn't let Magnus finish his sentence; he simply pushed Magnus against the wall and kissed him fiercely. Every time Magnus showed any sign of concern for Alec, Alec became even more drawn to him. Alec found Magnus irresistible the most when he showed how much he cared about him. He couldn't help it, caring Magnus was Alec's weakness.

Alec's attack on Magnus' lips didn't go unrewarded; Magnus kissed him back with just as much passion and soon enough they were both out of air. And yet, they couldn't put an end to this unexpected, but hot make-out session or keep their hands off of each other. They only broke apart when they were interrupted again, this time by a loud sound of something breaking followed by someone cursing in the living room. Jace and Izzy's pillow fight had been certainly fruitful.

"Now, I must go and fix _my_ hair," Magnus said huskily once they broke apart. He gave Alec such an intense gaze, Alec thought his soul would light on fire just from that. He was glad when Magnus finally headed upstairs; Alec didn't want him to witness the undoubtedly too embarrassing blush that invaded his cheeks. He entered the kitchen to distract himself and ended up helping Clary and Simon make eggnog, but he kept reaching for the wrong ingredients. His thoughts kept jumping back to Magnus. He realized that all Magnus had to do really was snap his fingers and his hair would be back to its perfect shape again, but he still preferred to mold it with his bare hands. Alec found that, and many other of Magnus' habits, just adorable.

Alec couldn't keep the smile off his face as he mixed the eggnog ingredients together. He hadn't been this happy in a long time and finally, he was starting to enjoy their time in the secret cabin.

* * *

"Oh my God… are you… are you trying to poison me?!" Jace cried after spitting the eggnog out.

"What? Why, what's wrong?" Alec asked alarmed.

"This is awful, Alec!" Jace exclaimed. "What did you put in it? I need water…" Jace shook his head and left the living room, leaving a very confused Alec.

Izzy smelled the eggnog jar curiously while Clary took a cautious sip out of Jace's cup and grimaced.

"What?" Alec demanded.

"Umm… okay, so…" Clary faced Alec awkwardly. "Could it be possible that you mixed up the sugar with salt? Maybe? Actually, that's pretty much what happened based on the taste of it..."

Alec blinked, not sure how to answer. He might have been too distracted to notice the difference between sugar and salt earlier, but it wasn't Alec's fault that Magnus had proven to be so deliciously distracting.

"So, no eggnog this Christmas…"Simon sighed.

"What difference does it make to you? You're a vampire." Alec shook his head at him.

"Just pure salt..." Simon teased.

"Stop making stupid jokes about how 'salty' I am," Alec grumbled.

"But now we have proof…" Simon retaliated with a grin that slowly died from Alec's ice cold glare. So he gave up and backed away from Alec as if he was afraid the Shadowhunter would lash out at him. Isabelle tried her best to suppress a smirk but failed epically.

"Just look at us. We're totally like a big family," she said teasingly. Alec rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he joined Magnus, who seemed to be struggling against a smirk of his own, on the couch by the other side of the room.

His boyfriend had changed into a very neat dark blue sweater with an elegant matching blue scarf around his neck. He had also styled his hair back to spiky perfection and had his makeup highlighted with glittery blue eye shadow. All in all, he looked very dashing and when Alec hopped down next to him he buried his face in Magnus' neck to get access to more than the visible parts. The smell of hazelnut radiating from Magnus had a soothing effect on Alec and he relaxed even more when Magnus wrapped his arm around him and lightly caressed the top of his head. They stayed like that for a while, apart from the others who scattered into different directions to get the decorating started.

"Alexander?" Magnus interrupted the peaceful quietness.

"Hmm?"

"Look… mistletoe," Magnus whispered, but Alec could still detect the excitement in his voice. He looked up and there it was again, the mini arrangement of entangled

green branches and white fruit on the ceiling, just above where they were sitting. Alec couldn't help but smile at Magnus' attempt. He was leaning in for a kiss, but the constant flow of people in and out of the room made him hesitate. He'd never kissed Magnus in front of other people again after his wedding with Lydia, a special moment driven by adrenaline. They had held hands and hugged in public, but kissing felt too intimate to do it under judgmental eyes. He looked at Izzy, Clary, and Jace and then back at Magnus, unsure about what to do.

"I don't think they'll mind," Magnus said like he was reading Alec's mind and Alec noticed a glimpse of pain in Magnus' eyes. Alec hated disappointing his boyfriend, but he knew he couldn't disappoint himself either. Struggling with his insecurity he looked back at his siblings and the others; no one was paying attention to them. Maybe Magnus was right… This was his family, after all. They would want him to be happy without judgement, wouldn't they? And Izzy surely didn't restrain herself when it came to showing affection to others. Maybe this was okay…

Before he could convince himself that using Izzy as a reference in this field wasn't the smartest idea, Alec leaned in again and touched Magnus' lips with his. It was a very tentative kiss at first, but when Alec realized the world hasn't ended because of his action, he pressed his lips more firmly to Magnus' and let Magnus' hands pull him closer. Nothing else mattered after that, Alec didn't care if the others were watching. Kissing Magnus had been the most wonderful thing Alec had experienced so far, and he cherished this moment with him, this very soft, slow and less passionate, but still perfect kiss.

Alec was sure his cheeks were burning by the time they finished kissing, which seemed like an eternity later, but he wasn't sure anymore whether it was because of the presence of others or simply because Magnus made him feel that way. Magnus made him feel like he was about to melt away on the floor, float out to space or feel so light like nothing bad could ever happen to him, just because Magnus held him in his arms.

Magnus gave him that affectionate smile that made Alec's heart beat a hundred times faster and to make Alec's poor heart even more desperate, he gave Alec that smooth silky kiss on the cheek that usually led to Alec's skin tingling and his knees going weak. Alec thought he was lucky that he was already sitting… a soft whimpering noise escaped Alec's throat in response to the kiss and he leaned his body against Magnus', nuzzling his nose into Magnus' neck, right next to his Adam's apple. The warmth of Magnus' body was intoxicating and Alec wished they could stay like that forever.

And they did, or so it seemed. Eventually, Alec turned his head to watch the others and Magnus did the same when Jace walked back in holding a bottle and a set of drinking glasses.

"Is that rum?" Magnus asked and Alec felt Magnus' body shift under his. He sat up and watched Jace place the glasses on the side table and open the bottle.

"Yep," Jace answered without looking up from his newest acquisition. That's all that Magnus needed to snap his fingers and magic the bottle away from Alec's parabatai straight into his hand.

"Hey!" Jace protested.

Magnus ignored him and fixed his look on the bottle.

"What's on your mind?" Alec asked because he knew that look on Magnus' face. It meant his boyfriend was up to something.

"Ischlers. And then get drunk with the rest," Magnus answered playfully.

"Magnus!"

"I'm kidding, darling," Magnus purred and climbed off of the couch and stretched like a lazy cat holding the bottle of rum firmly. "But I haven't made ischlers for quite some time… Will you help me?" He looked down at Alec hopefully.

"Of course," Alec confirmed and took Magnus' hands that helped him get to his feet. "I didn't know you had such a sweet tooth, though."

"I have many sweet parts, don't you think, Alexander?" Magnus replied cheekily and topped it off with a bold wink.

"Oh… well… sweet…" Alec mumbled wishing he was alone and still sitting because the way that burning sensation spread from his cheeks across his neck and all the way to his chest was definitely not helping him stay on foot. Or in one piece for that matter. Obviously, he agreed with Magnus, but he wasn't going to admit that in front of others. "I'm gonna… kitchen," he finished awkwardly and managed to make his way out of the living room. _Magnus, why… why are you doing this to me?_ He thought as he walked, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"Seriously, you're gonna waste that on some _cookies?!_ " Jace yelled after them when they reached the kitchen, which resulted in Alec stopping a terribly exasperated Magnus ("They're not _cookies!_ ") from storming out on the 'rudest and most ignorant Shadowhunter' he'd ever met.

* * *

They spent the rest of the day mainly baking, eating and decorating the Christmas tree. The ischlers turned out divine with just the right amount of rum in the chocolate covering. It had been such a nice light day that Alec hardly noticed the time passing. Magnus had done some magical work on the tree, offering them several options of color combinations. The ladies wanted a more classic tree, with gold and red, whereas the boys preferred a more icy look. Clary, Izzy, Jocelyn and Luke were curled up on blankets on the wooden floor right in front of the tree while Simon and Jace and Alec shared a couch. Magnus was standing next to the couch listening to all the suggestions. He tried to include everyone's taste in his creation which seemed to be a difficult task as the group's discussion heated up.

"More blue!" Jace demanded.

"No, no, no, no, no. Green is much prettier!" Clary objected.

"Green? How are you gonna see green stuff on a green tree?" Luke argued.

"The red balls need more glitter…" Izzy interjected her dreamy comment after as she attentively studied the tree with her head slightly inclined.

"Red is overrated. It just reminds me of blood…" Simon said rather sadly, but no one besides Magnus and Isabelle seemed to be paying attention to him.

"How about some reindeer?" Jocelyn suggested.

Alec was too overwhelmed to say anything, so he quietly watched the intense debate and wondered just how exactly this has gotten so out of hand. They all seemed like a bunch of five year olds arguing about their favorite toys. They went on and on until Magnus had enough and clapped his hands together.

"Everybody QUIET," he yelled. That got everyone's attention. All eyes turned on Magnus with expectation.

"Good," Magnus nodded with satisfaction and then turned to Alec. "Now, Alexander, what would you like on the tree?"

"Umm… I'm not really an expert… I'm fine with anything," Alec said slightly blushing from the fact that Magnus asked his opinion in front of everyone.

"Okay then... Let's try something new, shall we?" Magnus didn't wait for anyone to reply; he put his magic to work and slowly the tree gained a makeover.

New glittery silver and dark purple balls replaced the multicolored ones, they had finely designed white snowflakes on them; the fluffy snowmen gave their places to dark wood reindeer and the flashy lights were replaced by dozens of soft twinkle lights. They glowed as softly as candle light. The colors weren't too strong and they built the tree together in a very tasteful manner. It became a clean, but a sublime tree and everyone was mesmerized by it.

"So… Purple is not exactly blue or red, it's somewhere in between; silver gives it a cold yet elegant touch; the reindeer contribute to the dose of cute… and the candle-light adds a bit of gold and warmth," Magnus explained his artwork to the demanding audience. "Oh, and since you've all been acting like children…" He added and snapped his fingers.

Dozens of small, brightly wrapped candies appeared, hung on the tree. They were suspended by delicate silver thread and reflected the luminescent lights on the Christmas tree, creating a shining array of dazzling color.

Clary reached for a single, blue wrapped candy and Magnus quickly slapped her hand away.

"These are only to eat after Christmas," Magnus explained. "That goes for the rest of you. No sneaking early. I'll know."

"Everyone happy?" he asked and looked around for reactions.

No one said a word of objection. In fact, they all stared at the tree like they couldn't get enough of it. Alec thought it was simply the most wonderful Christmas tree he'd ever seen and wondered if there was anything Magnus wasn't good at.

The mesmeric silence prevailed and that was the best reaction Magnus could have hoped for. He flopped down on the couch's arm next to Alec, who tangled his fingers with the warlock's. His hand was soft and hot, as if the magic Magnus had just performed warmed it up even more. In that moment Alec finally found some inner peace. His concerns about Max were still there, lurking at the back of his mind. But after Magnus' pure and magical gift to him and his family and a nice cup of hot chocolate before bed, he could finally rest his head on Magnus' shoulder and sleep carelessly.

* * *

 **Betad by Holly0114, Sabiduria** **and xx ShamiksXa xx. Please let me know what you think so far!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Christmas Day**

"Merry Christmas, Alexander," Magnus whispered into Alec's ear and then effectively woke his boyfriend up with a kiss on the cheek. Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus and smiled, his eyes still closed. This was such a pleasant way to wake up.

"Merry Christmas, Magnus," he whispered back.

Alec still couldn't believe how lucky they were to spend this day together. Inviting Magnus for Christmas was one of the best decisions he'd made. They spent the entire morning of Christmas Day cuddling and making out. They were lying shirtless under the covers facing each other, Alec's hand on Magnus' waist and Magnus lightly caressing Alec's face.

"A dollar for your thoughts?" Magnus asked after watching Alec silently for minutes.

"I just… I wish we could stay here forever," Alec admitted and watched Magnus' face carefully.

"So do I," Magnus replied with a smile.

"I mean… We don't do this very often. The circumstances are…" Alec hesitated. He didn't want to scare Magnus off with his choice of words. How was he supposed to say that he was tired of not being able to spend more time with Magnus? That he wished they could be a normal couple doing normal things? That he wished the war was over so Magnus would be safe from Valentine's threats?

"...never in our favor?" Magnus completed Alec's sentence perfectly. Alec nodded, but he wasn't sure how to elaborate more. Luckily, he didn't need to; Magnus seemed to have understood what he meant.

"That's quite alright, Alec," Magnus said and hugged Alec closer, so their chests were in contact and he looked deeply into Alec's eyes. "We must make the most of the time we have. And when we win this war…"

"If we win it…"Alec mumbled without paying much attention to what he was saying. He was having a hard time concentrating thanks to the proximity to Magnus. He felt the heat radiating from Magnus' face… Or was that his own face?

" _When_ we do," Magnus emphasized. "I know we'll have plenty of time for _this…_ " That being said he kissed Alec on the lips. Alec let out a moan and Magnus' tongue licked its way inside his mouth. Alec barely had time to react when Magnus broke the kiss and looked at him with desire.

"...and this…" he whispered and pushed Alec on his back. Then he started tracing a trail of kisses down on Alec's neck. Alec tilted his head back desperate for more contact between Magnus's lips and his skin. Magnus took his time at each area of Alec's most sensitive areas; first under his jawline then on his Adam's apple and finally moving on to his collarbone where he nibbled on the sensitive skin. Alec moaned, thinking that he might just lose his mind if Magnus kept up like this for much longer. Magnus then turned his attention to Alec's chest. He didn't stop until Alec's stomach let out a scandalously loud growl. Magnus looked at Alec's flushed face amused.

"Someone's hungry," he commented and placed his palm above Alec's stomach. "Breakfast?"

Alec was definitely hungry… for more Magnus. He nodded, even though he would have gladly let Magnus carry on with his sweet torture. He followed Magnus out of bed reluctantly, and they headed downstairs after getting properly dressed. No one else seemed to be up yet; it was just the two of them in the kitchen. They decided to have Magnus' heavenly pumpkin spice pancakes. As much as Alec loved having some steamy alone time with Magnus, he also enjoyed them doing ordinary things together, like cooking. Alec was in charge of the caffeine, in the form of tea this time, while Magnus worked on his secret pancake recipe. They moved so harmoniously together, completing each other's movements like they had been doing this routine for years, not months.

By the time they sat down and started eating, some of the others had been lured out of their rooms by the delicious pancake smell that had permeated the entire house. The sleepy Clary, Jace, Luke and Jocelyn joined them for breakfast and no one spoke except for praising the food.

After breakfast, Alec invited Magnus to go out on a walk with him. It was freezing outside, but Alec missed the outdoors and the snow covered forest looked too inviting. Alec also intended to finish their previous conversation and the best way to do that was to be away from any unwanted listeners. So, they changed into warmer clothes and to Alec's bewilderment, Magnus tried dressing him with more and more layers of clothes.

"Magnus, this isn't the North Pole," Alec protested against the unnecessary clothing, but Magnus wasn't having it. He claimed he was not about to allow Alec to get sick under his watch, and since that was a cute enough answer for Alec, he stopped resisting.

Equipped with his seraph blade, two sweaters, a thick jacket, a pair of purple wool gloves, scarf and a purple hat, Alec stepped out of the cabin followed by a similarly dressed, but much better looking Magnus. The sun barely showed itself from behind the dense white and grey clouds and the icy wind made them walk through the thick layer of snow hastily.

"We shouldn't go too far. The protective ward gets weaker the further we are from the cabin," Magnus warned, after constantly looking back to the cabin that seemed smaller with each step.

"To the lake?" Alec asked when he spotted a frozen lake in about a three hundred feet of distance as the trees started getting scarcer.

Magnus nodded and they took the rest of the path holding hands. They didn't talk on the way. The branches of the snow covered trees rustled as the breeze picked up, but there was no other sound. Despite the calming quietness and the cold snowy beauty surrounding them, Alec's agitation was becoming too intense. He couldn't have stayed put in that cabin even if he wanted to. And as soon as they reached the lake he snapped.

"I wish we didn't meet in a middle of a war," he stated like they were continuing an ongoing conversation. "It feels like we're on hold all the time,"

"We're not on hold now," Magnus replied after getting over his initial shock from Alec's sudden outbreak."

"Yes, but this is just temporary. Soon we'll be back to all that mess and…" Alec struggled putting his fears into words. "I honestly don't know why you stick with me," he admitted and dared to look up at Magnus' face. He wasn't sure if what he saw was disappointment, surprise, or something else. "You could just go," he continued. "Walk away from all of this and live your life wherever you want to and however you want to. Why don't you?"

"I don't know where this is coming from, Alec…" Magnus said cautiously. "But I assure you there's nowhere else I'd rather be right now."

"Why? I mean, we Shadowhunters are only causing you trouble and you're still helping us fight a battle that's not yours," Alec argued.

"It's my battle just as much as it is yours, Alec. Valentine wants me dead, he wants to destroy the entire Down World. I refuse to sit back and let him have his way. I have to do my part if I want to live in a free world. And I very much want to," Magnus spoke with determination. There was no doubt he believed in his words, which only made him more attractive in Alec's eyes.

"Okay, but most warlocks don't stay and fight with us," Alec reasoned.

"Most warlocks don't have drop dead gorgeous Shadowhunter boyfriends, do they?"

Alec was left speechless for a couple of seconds and felt a sudden rush of hotness through his body, which made him take his hat off. Magnus smirking at him was not helping his situation very much.

"Look, my… my point is," Alec said as he slowly recomposed himself. "You shouldn't have to go out there and fight, even though…" Alec paused again recalling the couple of times he and Magnus had been out fighting together. He had to admit, they had been a pretty effective power couple, as Izzy had put it. A part of Alec had enjoyed those encounters, but a part of him had also dreaded them. "Even though part of me enjoys it. It's bad enough that Jace and Izzy are out there with me every day, and Max and my parents are under constant threat... I can't have everyone I love risking their lives for whatever the cause is and…" Alec had to stop again, but this time it was Magnus' expression that stopped him. It was new. Alec couldn't tell what Magnus was thinking, but he looked utterly astonished, to say the least. Maybe scared too. _He really doesn't need to listen to this, does he?_ Alec thought after realizing that he'd made a mistake talking about this issue that'd been torturing him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin our moment or anything… I just…" Alec paused and cursed himself for bringing it up in the first place. Now he had to fix it, because Magnus looked positively terrified. "I had to get this out of my chest, so…"

"You love me?" Magnus interrupted him, shock overflowing his voice. He looked absolutely stunned and the glitter was nothing compared to the intensity of his eyes glowing. Alec blinked and stood sheepishly in front of him, unsure about how to respond to that. Magnus, on the other hand, had gone completely still and breathless waiting for Alec's confirmation.

"Of course I love you," Alec finally said shaking his head. "Why else would I be here?"

It was such an obvious fact to Alec that he didn't understand Magnus' reaction. Was it not obvious that he loved him?

"Magnus, are you… are you okay?" Alec asked concerned after watching Magnus' eyes fill with tears. "Did I talk too much? Did I scare you?"

"No, darling. This isn't my scared face. This is my 'he said he loves me for the first time' face," Magnus said attempting a smile, which only made his tears start to cascade down his cheeks, in a small, steady stream.

"Oh… I didn't know there was such face," Alec said, realizing how dumb that sounded. "Or that this was the first time I… hmm." Alec's sudden shortness of breath made him stop talking. Magnus stepped closer and cupped Alec's cheeks and he looked so much beyond beautiful that Alec couldn't bear it.

"I love you too, Alec," Magnus admitted softly. "I've loved you since the beginning."

Alec wasn't feeling okay. His heart was beating a thousand times faster and it seemed to be pumping something extra be infusing his blood with a special heat that made Alec feel like his blood was searing his veins as it course through his body, or his blood was simply boiling, because the calefaction reaching his skin was unbearable. How could someone make you feel this way only by saying a few words? Or just from one look? It was beyond Alec's comprehension of emotions. This was new territory to him and he loved it, but was terrified of it at the same time. He was afraid he couldn't hide how lost he was at that moment.

"I'm… I'm making the face... aren't I?" Alec asked insubstantially. His voice was failing him and so were his legs. If Magnus hadn't stepped closer, allowing Alec to lean on him, he would have definitely collapsed at this point.

"It's a lovely face," Magnus purred, so close to Alec that their noses were nuzzling each other. Magnus' eyes were a vibrant gold mixed with dark chocolate rings exploding with so much compassion and love that Alec allowed himself to get lost in them.

"Just… kiss me," Alec simply requested with the remaining air he had left. And Magnus happily fulfilled his wish.

* * *

It seemed like they were out there for hours, but they could never get enough. Magnus' lips never tasted so deliciously before, Alec's heart had never beaten faster, and he had never been more certain concerning his feelings for Magnus. He loved the warlock so deeply he never even had to think about it; it was the most natural thing in the universe, just like his parabatai bond with Jace and his love for Izzy and Max. Alec couldn't live without it anymore. He realized that he needed Magnus in his life just as much as he needed his siblings.

"I didn't know you felt the same way," Alec said huskily after they broke the perfect kiss.

"Really? I admit, I tried very hard not to tell you, because... well, I wasn't sure _you_ felt the same way," Magnus shook his head unbelieving their misfortune. "And I didn't want to scare you away. I tried to show you instead."

"Yeah, you did," Alec said dazedly **.** It made sense now why Magnus seemed like the best boyfriend in the world. "And I'm sorry. I should have shown how I felt better."

Magnus was about to respond when Alec felt the bang on the back of his head. It shook him out of his reality, like waking up from a dream; he was momentarily frozen, but then his reflexes kicked in and he had already pulled out his seraph blade when the second strike hit him in the arm this time. So they had been discovered after all. _Great timing, demons or whoever you are,_ Alec thought bitterly as he turned around ready to fight his enemies. But what he faced was nothing of what he'd expected.

"What are you doing? I almost stabbed you!" He yelled incredulously after lowering his blade . He was facing Jace and Clary, who looked like they'd just ran all the way there.

"Snowball fight, duh!" Jace claimed, smirking.

"You two seemed pretty distracted," Clary said, curiosity evident in her tone. "We were yelling your names all the way here."

Alec let out a sigh of relief and turned back to Magnus. At least it wasn't the enemy. Their so far perfect day could have gone much much worse. He was about to take Magnus' hand when the third snowball hit him in the middle of his back.

"What the hell?" Alec cursed, turning back to his apparently five year old parabatai.

" _Game on,"_ Jace declared, as if it was a real battle and Alec rolled his eyes. _This is ridiculous,_ he thought but he decided it was time for payback. Clary and Jace requested no magic from Magnus; they wanted a fair fight and Magnus thought the game was interesting enough to try.

Shortly after they had gotten into the game, Izzy joined them. And that's when all hell broke loose.

"You guys really thought I'd miss out on the fun?" she asked when she reached them.

"So which team are you on, Clace or Malec?" Jace wanted to know.

Izzy measured them up and down and apparently she wasn't impressed with what she saw.

"Actually, I have my own ship," she said with a smirk.

Alec and Jace had an automatic reaction to that answer. They shared a knowing look, and with just that look they knew what they had to do. Their parabatai bond helped them silently decide to join forces against Izzy the same way it helped them with strategy during real battles.

They moved together, faster than anyone and managed to bombard a screaming Izzy with snowballs. Clary jumped in to help her out and furiously threw her tiny snowballs at them.

"Traitor!" Jace yelled at Clary as he backed off from her attack.

Soon enough it was girls against boys, with Magnus helping out the girls' team occasionally, and despite the heavy clothing they were all wearing to ward off the cold, they all still ended up soaked in freezing, melted snow. The game lasted until their bodies could no longer handle the cold; they gathered their clothing items that had gotten lost in the snow during the game like their hats, scarves and gloves, Magnus' jacket and in Izzy's case, one of her boots. Alec shook his head at her wondering how _that_ had managed to get lost.

As they walked back to the cabin, tired but happy, Alec had to admit, the snowball fight was fun. But his previous conversation with Magnus kept replaying in his head, making him even dizzier than the snowball fight itself. Magnus was kind enough to warm them up with magic before they reached the house and when they got close enough, Clary, Izzy and Magnus simply laid down on a piece of land with undisturbed snow on it to draw angels with their bodies. Alec was in such a great mood that he didn't even resist when they asked him to join them.

"Hop down here, Alexander," Magnus beamed. "We need a tall angel!"

* * *

After a nice hot shower they all cooked the delicious Christmas dinner together: frisee and goat cheese salad, shrimp cocktails, tilapia with red wine sauce and roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower and mozzarella casserole, cherry tarts and ginger pumpkin pie with chocolate sauce composed the menu. Once they finished the wonderful meal, the evening moods had changed from excited and buzzed with emotions to warm and fuzzy and everyone took a place on the couches and mattresses on the floor and curled up sleepily.

The fire crackling in the fireplace made the evening even cozier. Alec snuggled up with Magnus and couldn't care less if anyone was watching. If Alec wasn't convinced before, now he was absolutely sure that getting away for Christmas was the best move they could have made. There was no doubt that the three days they'd spent in this cabin were essential to restore their energy and hope for the future and there was still more to come. Alec was finally excited for the whole concept of Christmas. He was in such great spirits that not even his sister curling up in the vampire's arms could upset him. They didn't have any presents to give to each other, but just being together was a gift by itself.

"I'm so full," he half-complained to Magnus, as all of them had eaten so much it had made them slightly weary. Alec leaned back, stretching his belly in an attempt to create more space to accommodate their large meal. It had been too good to stop. "That casserole… and those shrimp cocktails…" He went on dreamily. "...and those sweet potatoes with the fish… soooo good!"

"You forgot the cherry tarts and the ginger pumpkin pie with chocolate sauce," Magnus added cheerfully.

"Oh, yes… those too," Alec agreed with a sleepy smile.

Magnus chuckled and kissed his boyfriend's warm cheek. He was in love with their little escapade and even more in love with Alexander. This had turned out to be one of the happiest days in Magnus' long life. Knowing that Alec loved him filled him with such ecstasy that nothing compared to. Everything else seemed insignificant now that he had Alec's heart, the most precious thing in the entire universe, beating for him. Magnus still couldn't believe it was true. He didn't know what he'd done to earn such a precious gift, but he was very much grateful for it. He wanted nothing less than to give all his love to Alec and tonight Magnus was ready to give some of the happiness back to Alec, or at least try.

He waited for Alec to fall asleep then carried him upstairs. Luckily, they were already in their pajamas, Magnus' was a red silk set with tiny reindeer stamped all over it, so they would be comfortable tonight.

"Sweet dreams, my love," Magnus whispered as he tucked Alec in and lay next to him. Alec slept like a baby, which was an especially positive factor for what Magnus had planned. He made himself comfortable under the covers and shut his eyes close. Taking a deep breath, he hoped for the best and focused on his magic.

* * *

Alec was wondering what just happened. He was back in the Institute, in his room for a while and then suddenly he got pulled away to this wide grass field. It was dark, the only light available came from the stars and the moon across a clear cobalt blue sky. As far as the eye could see, long wild grass covered the ground with a few solitary trees spread amongst the dense green carpet. The amazing smell of fresh air invaded Alec's lungs and he had a feeling he had seen this place before, but couldn't recall where from.

Alec noticed Magnus just a few feet away from him. They were both wearing pajamas, which was a strange choice of clothing given the scenery.

"Magnus? What's going on?" Alec called. "What is this?"

" _This_ is my Christmas gift for you," Magnus replied, stepping closer.

"I don't understand. Did we… teleport?" Alec shook his head confused.

"In a way," Magnus nodded. "We're in somebody's dream."

"This is a dream? I don't... it feels so real."

"I know. Warlocks can visit people in their dreams using magic, well, massive amounts of magic," Magnus explained. "It's not a very common practice… But it's useful when you miss someone," Magnus concluded mysteriously.

"Wow. Okay." Alec ruffled his hair up with his hands. He was having a hard time adjusting to this new reality. "So, whose dream is it?" He asked, deciding to go along with it.

Magnus didn't say a word, but fixed his look at some point behind Alec, who followed his eyes and caught a glimpse of someone lying on the grass. He stepped closer to the lying figure and his heart skipped a beat with the recognition.

"Max?" Alec asked then held his breath. This couldn't be real. All he'd wanted for Christmas was to get a chance to talk to his little brother and now his wish was granted? No, not possible…

"Alec!" Max screamed as he got up from the floor and ran to his big brother. Alec kneeled down and welcomed him with open arms. And as he squeezed him into a tight hug it hit him: this was real. Max was really there, wearing his favorite pajamas; holding him in his arms felt exactly like it used to; Max's soft soap smell reminded Alec of the times he used to bathe him when he was little and suddenly Alec was overwhelmed by memories and emotions. He was having a hard time not to burst into tears.

"Are you really here?" Max asked startled.

Alec nodded, trying to fight off the tears that were burning his eyes.

"How are you, Max?" He asked after getting better control of his emotions.

"I'm okay," Max sighed. "I'm so bored. They won't let us go anywhere after school! It's all because of Valentine… We're stuck inside all day. And I miss you!"

"I miss you too," Alec reassured him. "I know it sucks right now, but we all need to be patient, okay?" Alec really wanted to tell him that it was going to be okay very soon and things would get better, but he didn't want to lie to his brother. No one knew if things would be okay again or that they would see each other soon. Giving Max false expectations wouldn't help.

From Max's brief update on the war, Alec found out that Valentine had been making moves against Idris, but hadn't succeeded in breaking into the city so far. It looked like they were secure, but Alec knew that could change any day.

"But how? How did you get here?" Max asked still completely astonished. He still couldn't get over the fact that Alec was there. "No one has ever come here before!"

"Well… Someone brought me," Alec said and then led Max to Magnus, who had stayed in the background, allowing the the two of them a chance to reconnect.

"Max, this is my good friend, Magnus. Magnus, this is Max," Alec did the introductions. Alec always wanted Max to meet Magnus, but this was happening much sooner than expected and he was nervous about how it would go.

"Hello!" Magnus greeted Max with a shy smile. Max, on the other hand, didn't even attempt to hide his feelings: he stared at Magnus with wide eyes like he was standing in front of one of the wonders of the world.

"WOW," Max exclaimed. He was still staring at Magnus like he was a celebrity. "You're Magnus Bane!"

"Yep," Magnus replied and clearly he was having fun with Max's reaction.

"You're a warlock! You're like… the BEST warlock!" Alec watched in complete shock as Max jumped up and down in excitement, his eyes fixed on Magnus adoringly. Max was acting like he was meeting a celebrity and Alec was pleased yet a bit bemused by his brother's exuberance. He was glad Max was happy to meet Magnus, but now it looked like Alec might be competing for Max's attention with the boy's number one fan.

"Oh, well I'm not…" Magnus muttered overwhelmed and Alec could almost swear he saw his boyfriend blush. Sadly, it was too dark to get a clear view of the color of his face.

"You look funny in pajamas," Max commented with a grin, which made Magnus chuckle.

"My parents talk about you all the time!" the boy continued.

"Really? Good things I hope?" Magnus asked curiously.

"Not really… They don't like you very much… sorry," Max said with a grimace, he wasn't very happy about having to inform Magnus about how his parents disliked him.

"Oh, well," Magnus shrugged it off. "There are plenty of people who like me," he said cheekily and winked at Alec, who just shook his head mortified and felt his cheeks burning. But Max didn't seem to notice their brief non-verbal exchnge, he was too absorbed in the experience of meeting Magnus Bane.

"You're so cool! Did you use magic to get here? Of course, you did! Do you know where we are? We're in the Lion King movie, it's my favorite movie EVER! And this is where Simba watched the stars with Pumba and Timon, you know, before he found out that he was the king…" Max didn't allow anyone to actually answer his questions, he just went on and on excitedly until he ran out of breath and Magnus admitted he'd never seen the Lion King.

"What do you mean you've never watched it?" Max asked indignantly, making Alec smile. Max had loved that movie since he was three and Alec had watched it with him countless times and he knew Max rewatched it whenever he was sad.

They talked for a while, exchanging information about their parents, Izzy and Jace. Then Max took both Alec and Magnus' hands and invited them to watch the stars with him. So they lay down on the dense green carpet of grass, Max in the middle, and listened to the boy's passionate monologue about stars and constellations. Max was such a little nerd, he had always shown great interest for learning new things. The long and dense blades of grass were really nice to lay on, it kind of felt like floating inches above the ground. It was a lovely night, with a light breeze gently caressing their bodies. And an infinite number of stars were sparkling across a clear dark blue sky like diamonds. Being there with Max and Magnus was very comforting, especially with the fresh smell of nature that made Alec a bit lightheaded. But he could hardly focus on his brother's bubbly speech; he still couldn't believe that this was happening. He turned his eyes away from the sky and peeked at Magnus' moonlit face.

Alec couldn't stop himself from gasping; Magnus was so breathtakingly beautiful in the moonlight; the glow in his eyes highlighted and the small dimples formed on his perfectly smooth cheeks from his smile made Alec's insides melt. Magnus seemed to be listening attentively to Max, so Alec had a few moments of admiring and drooling over his amazing boyfriend, until Magnus felt Alec's eyes on him and turned to face him.

"...it's all very magical," Max concluded his long speech, still staring at the sky while Magnus and Alec were staring at each other.

"Yes, it is," Alec said dreamily without taking his eyes off of Magnus.

Magnus smiled at him and Alec thought he would never be able to get up again. Luckily, he got help from his blissfully oblivious brother. He was buzzing with excitement, he wanted them to take a walk, to explore the landscape better. But before they could take a step, Magnus gave Alec a desperate look, like crying out for help and he would have collapsed on the floor if Alec hadn't caught him first.

"Hey… What's wrong?" Alec asked worried.

"We've been here too long… I can't…" Magnus tried to explain and Alec let him know he understood with a nod. He knew that look. Magnus had been using a lot of magic and it was slowly draining him, like it did when their fights got too difficult. It was time to say goodbye.

This had been so wonderful and Alec didn't want to leave yet. But he knew abusing his powers was bad for Magnus and Alec definitely didn't want to make him suffer. With a heavy heart Alec told Max that they had to go.

"Will you be back soon?" Max frowned, barely letting his brother go.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best. Okay?" Alec reassured him.

"Thank you for bringing Alec to see me," Max turned to Magnus and then surprised the warlock with a hug.

"Oh…" He said startled at the boy. "You're welcome. It was very nice to meet you, Max." Magnus smiled and shook the boy's hand despite his obvious exhaustion.

"I love you," Alec said with his voice heavy with emotions and pulled his brother in for one last hug.

"I love you too." Max hugged back, sounding just as emotional as Alec.

Alec reluctantly let go of Max and took Magnus' hand, then he shivered from the sensation of being pulled by a string. Once they landed, Alec woke up immediately and turned on the bed to face Magnus, who was in an awful shape: his body was uncontrollably shaking and thick layer of sweat covered his skin everywhere, gluing his pajama to his body.

"Magnus…" Alec gasped and sat up immediately, taking Magnus' shaking hand. "Take my strength."

Magnus couldn't speak, all he did was shake his head and close his eyes.

"Just do it," Alec insisted and squeezed Magnus' hand. He wasn't going to let Magnus suffer like that. He'd seen him get weak before, after long nights of battle when he used too much of his magic not just to fight, but to protect and heal the injured. But it had never been this bad. Magnus didn't respond and Alec started to feel panic rise inside him. What if this time he had gone too far? What would happen to him? Alec was too scared to think of the answer.

"Magnus? Magnus!" Alec cried out desperately and held Magnus by the shoulders and shook his limp body against the sheets. "Magnus, wake up…" he whispered terrified as tears poured from his eyes. This nightmare was such a shock after the lovely day they'd had that Alec couldn't move or think. He was on his knees, holding onto Magnus trying to revive him somehow. Hyperventilating and choking on his tears, Alec tried desperately to come up with something useful, but he realized that he couldn't handle this on his own. He was about to get up and call for help when Magnus took hold of his wrist and Alec could finally sense him drawing out his life force. Alec let out a long breath in relief and collapsed down next to Magnus.

"You… you scared me…" He mumbled and tried to fight back his sobs as Magnus slowly recovered himself. The shaking was gone and he was breathing normally again. "How are you feeling?" Alec whispered and cupped Magnus' cheeks when the warlock's eyes focused on him again.

"I'm okay…" Magnus spoke weakly. "I just… wasn't prepared for such… Oh, Alec!" Magnus hugged a bawling Alec against his chest. "It's okay, darling… See? I'm fine now…"Magnus said soothingly while caressing Alec's shoulders and back consolingly.

Alec calmed down after a couple of minutes. His tears were as much from anguish as they were of relief and with everything that had happened during the day. These emotions flooded out of him violently. He cried his soul out on Magnus' chest silently thanking the Angels that Magnus wasn't hurt. Once he had regained his breath he looked up at Magnus' loving face.

"I was so scared that…" Alec couldn't complete his sentence. He didn't want to say outloud that he was terrified of losing Magnus. That might just break him again.

"Oh, no, darling. It takes a lot more than that to really get to me," Magnus said reassuringly as he understood perfectly what Alec had meant. Alec pulled him into his arms and while Manus talked to him soothingly, he gently stroked his boyfriend's arms and left soft kisses on the top of his head. Magnus went quiet after a while and Alec watched him as his breathing shifted to a deeper intensity. Alec's eyes were burning, but he finally overcame his torment as he pressed Magnus' warm and familiar body against his and fell asleep thinking how much he loved the beautiful warlock in his arms.

* * *

 **Betad by Holly0114 and xx ShamiksXa xx. Merry Christmas everyone and please let me know what you think! ^.^**


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